Local NBC affiliate set to join airwaves

Published: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at 12:27 a.m.

With the addition of NBC around the first of the year, Gainesville will have an affiliate from all major television networks in 2009.

The operators of WGFL-CBS 4 announced the addition of WNBW-NBC 9 on Tuesday. The station’s market includes Alachua, Dixie, Gilchrist and Levy counties and will include high-definition broadcasting.

As a local affiliate, the NBC station will have must-carry rights on cable systems in those markets, as well as satellite services that carry local affiliates. Details are yet to be worked out with carriers.

The Dish Network carries local channels while local DirecTV customers pick up local channels by antenna.

Cox Cable must carry the station on its limited, basic lineup, according to spokesman Rick Mulligan. Cox also has an agreement to continue to carry WESH NBC out of Orlando and so will have two NBC affiliates next year.

“We’re certainly going to brand the station to the point where they would rather watch the Gainesville NBC than the Orlando NBC,” said Michael Yanuzzi, president of New Age Media, which operates stations on behalf of owner MPS Media. Both companies are based in northeastern Pennsylvania.

NBC will offer a local news broadcast within a year or two, he said.

It will also offer some local programming to be determined.

“If there’s sports packages out there, it would be on the weekends in and around the NBC sports product,” Yanuzzi said.

NBC sports includes Sunday Night Football, NASCAR and PGA Golf and will include Super Bowl XLIII in February. This summer it broadcast the Olympics.

Popular programming includes “The Office,” “My Name is Earl,” “ER,” “Saturday Night Live” and the “Law & Order” franchise.

MPS has put together a tentative schedule of syndicated programs such as comedies to fill non-primetime slots. The local station has blackout rights for syndicated programming if there is a conflict.

“This is extremely exciting news since approximately 32,000 homes in the Gainesville market have not had the ability to receive any NBC programming,” said MPS President Eugene Brown.

Yanuzzi said talks with NBC were on and off for six years, starting with the previous owner, Pegasus Broadcasting.

Channel 9 signed on Sept. 4 with test and promotional signals. Various other tests or promotions will run until NBC signs on Jan. 1 or 2 while master control facilities are constructed, according to Todd Senter, local station manager.

CBS’ Channel 53 analog-only signal was taken off the air July 18 to make room for the new station on the transmission tower.

The station will not be available in analog. All broadcasts in the U.S. must convert to digital only by Feb. 17, 2009.

Anthony Clark can be reached at anthony.clark@gvillesun.com or 352-374-5094.

<p>With the addition of NBC around the first of the year, Gainesville will have an affiliate from all major television networks in 2009.</p><p>The operators of WGFL-CBS 4 announced the addition of WNBW-NBC 9 on Tuesday. The station’s market includes Alachua, Dixie, Gilchrist and Levy counties and will include high-definition broadcasting.</p><p>As a local affiliate, the NBC station will have must-carry rights on cable systems in those markets, as well as satellite services that carry local affiliates. Details are yet to be worked out with carriers.</p><p>The Dish Network carries local channels while local DirecTV customers pick up local channels by antenna. </p><p>Cox Cable must carry the station on its limited, basic lineup, according to spokesman Rick Mulligan. Cox also has an agreement to continue to carry WESH NBC out of Orlando and so will have two NBC affiliates next year. </p><p>We’re certainly going to brand the station to the point where they would rather watch the Gainesville NBC than the Orlando NBC, said Michael Yanuzzi, president of New Age Media, which operates stations on behalf of owner MPS Media. Both companies are based in northeastern Pennsylvania.</p><p>NBC will offer a local news broadcast within a year or two, he said.</p><p>It will also offer some local programming to be determined.</p><p>If there’s sports packages out there, it would be on the weekends in and around the NBC sports product, Yanuzzi said.</p><p>NBC sports includes Sunday Night Football, NASCAR and PGA Golf and will include Super Bowl XLIII in February. This summer it broadcast the Olympics. </p><p>Popular programming includes The Office, My Name is Earl, ER, Saturday Night Live and the Law & Order franchise.</p><p>MPS has put together a tentative schedule of syndicated programs such as comedies to fill non-primetime slots. The local station has blackout rights for syndicated programming if there is a conflict.</p><p>This is extremely exciting news since approximately 32,000 homes in the Gainesville market have not had the ability to receive any NBC programming, said MPS President Eugene Brown.</p><p>Yanuzzi said talks with NBC were on and off for six years, starting with the previous owner, Pegasus Broadcasting.</p><p>Channel 9 signed on Sept. 4 with test and promotional signals. Various other tests or promotions will run until NBC signs on Jan. 1 or 2 while master control facilities are constructed, according to Todd Senter, local station manager.</p><p>CBS’ Channel 53 analog-only signal was taken off the air July 18 to make room for the new station on the transmission tower. </p><p>The station will not be available in analog. All broadcasts in the U.S. must convert to digital only by Feb. 17, 2009.</p><p><i>Anthony Clark can be reached at anthony.clark@gvillesun.com or 352-374-5094.</i></p>